On a recent episode of “The Jim Cornette Experience,” wrestling historian and legendary manager Jim Cornette, along with his co-host Brian Last, presented new research that significantly pushes back the timeline for the first-ever televised professional wrestling broadcasts in the United States. Citing newly discovered documents and fan-submitted research, Cornette detailed evidence of experimental wrestling broadcasts from as early as 1931, a full 15 years earlier than previously believed.
The Previously Understood History
Cornette began the segment by recapping the commonly accepted history of televised wrestling, which placed its origins in the post-World War II era. “We talked previously about the history of wrestling on television,” Cornette said. “And the earliest that anybody was coming up with was well, 1947 for Los Angeles. And 1946 they signed on the air in St. Louis or something.”
The 1939 NBC Broadcasts
Cornette then discussed information he had recently uncovered from the Jack Pfeffer collection, which pointed to earlier broadcasts. This was corroborated by an in-house magazine from NBC called “Transmitter.” Cornette read from a February 1940 edition of the magazine, which detailed NBC’s television programming from the previous year. “NBC television ended the year 1939 having put on 668 individual programs in the eight months from April 30, 1939 to January 1, 1940,” he quoted.
The magazine listed a variety of live “outdoor pickups,” including Brooklyn Dodgers football games, six-day bike races, and boxing matches. Crucially for wrestling history, the list also included “the weekly boxing and wrestling matches from the Ridgewood Grove arena.” This confirmed that regular wrestling broadcasts were happening in the New York area at that time.
The Earliest Television Audience
These experimental broadcasts were transmitted to a very small, select audience. “Our television audience… is to be estimated in the neighborhood of 2,000 home receivers as of January 1, 1940,” Cornette read from the magazine. He explained that these receivers were primarily in the homes of RCA executives and engineers working on the television project, as well as a few wealthy individuals. The magazine estimated a “potential audience is between eight and 10,000” based on an average of four to five people watching each television set.
The 1931 Discovery
The most significant revelation came from research submitted by a listener of the podcast, who had scoured old newspaper archives. “This fellow has searched for the old listings in newspaper archives, and he found a television listing… August 27, 1931 issue of the New York Evening Post where W2XAB announced they plan to air an experimental wrestling match,” Cornette stated.
The research pinpointed the exact date of what may be the first-ever televised wrestling broadcast. “The 15 minute broadcast, simply listed as wrestling match, was broadcast at 10pm on September 17, 1931,” Cornette said.
The Technical Challenges of Early Broadcasts
These earliest broadcasts were primitive and faced immense technical hurdles. “Boxers and wrestlers alike had to compete in a miniature ring and could easily fall out of the view of the camera,” Cornette explained. “They also fought in a dark studio for the projector’s benefit.”
The technology was so sensitive that even the appearance of the wrestlers was a factor. “Airing blonde competitors was a hassle… which meant light or dark backgrounds were needed to account for each wrestler’s hair color,” he added.
The 1931 Programming Lineup
Cornette put the 1931 broadcast into context by reading the full programming schedule for that evening, a bizarre and eclectic mix that showcased the experimental nature of early television. The night’s entertainment included a contralto singer, a sketch called “Shadows of the Night,” and a segment titled “How to Finger the Violin with Vincent Saucy.”
The wrestling match was a 15-minute segment at 10:00 PM, followed by more songs and a show called “Cartoons Drawn While You Look.” This lineup indicates that the wrestling was presented not as a standalone sporting event, but as one of many short, experimental pieces of content designed to test the new medium.
The Historical Significance
This new information rewrites the timeline of televised wrestling, pushing its origins back into the early 1930s. “We’ve added 15 years just with bringing this topic up and getting everybody to chip in and talk about it,” Cornette said. The findings demonstrate that wrestling was a part of television from its absolute infancy, valued by early broadcasters as a compelling form of content to showcase the new technology. Cornette and Last concluded by stating their next goal is to try and identify the specific wrestlers who competed in that historic 1931 broadcast.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Jim Cornette and Brian Last with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
